InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Love Nearly Forgotten ❯ Between Two Forests ( Chapter 3 )

Author's Note: Alright, for those of you who know this story from elsewhere I have revised it greatly. Inuyasha had been a bit too out of character so I thought I'd try something different. Please let me know which you think works the best.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Rating: R for cussing and adult situations (Not a lemon)

A Love Nearly Forgotten

Ch 3: Between two forests

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It had not been long since they had left the village and already two great forests loomed over them. The elder had not misled them in his tale; the path did indeed pass between the two forests, it almost seemed as if the two had once been joined as one. The forest on their left seemed dead; and an eerie mist seemed to encompass it entirely, but the forest to the right of the path appeared no different than any other they had encountered before.

"Inuyasha are you sure about this? That forest over there looks creepy! And remember what the elder said!?" The little fox kit cried from Kagome's shoulder. He dug his claws into the girl and clung to her as if his life depended on it.

"I'm with you Shippou." Kagome started as she placed a reassuring hand up to the kit's shoulder to calm him down so he might not draw blood. She was trying not to move in a way that might startle the kit that was staring so intently at the darker of the two forests. He wore a nervous expression, and the longer he stared the tighter his clawed grip became. "It is creepy looking. It must be the one the elder said the Vampires lived in." Kagome said, taking the kit into her arms, and stoking his head.

"I thought I said earlier that everything is fine! We aren't going to be attacked by any stupid ghosts so just quit worrying about it!" Inuyasha snapped. Although he would not admit it, he too did not enjoy the sight of the old vampire forest. He knew no spirit that resided there would dare bother with him or his friends, but it still made him uncomfortable.

"How do you know?!" the kit shot back.

"I just do, you baka." Inuyasha said lowly. He was getting very annoyed with Shippou's constant whining. He didn't have to explain how he knew what he knew.

"Ahem, isn't it odd, the way the path passes through between the two… almost like some kind of border between the two kingdoms." Miroku said calmly, attempting to change the subject.

"Ah yes there is something to that," a small voice chirped from the fur on Kirara's back.

"Myouga? Where have you been? I don't think I've seen you since Kaede's village," Sango questioned as she leaned down to see the flea demon more clearly.

"Ah, yes well when I overheard where you were heading I…" Myouga began to defend himself, but was immediately cut off by a smart mouthed kitsune.

"Leave it to Myouga to run away whenever… " Shippou started.

"No no! It's not like that." The flea demon protested, and folded his small arms in resentment. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." He said sarcastically and paused in order to glare at the group for emphasis, then cleared his throat to begin again. "Once I heard where you were heading, I decided that it would be best to do some research on the area. I had heard rumors and tales, but did not know the truth." Myouga said, defending himself.

"So what did you find out Myouga?" Kagome walked over beside Kirara focusing on the flea demon that stood on her back.

"Ah yes well you see, from what I gathered this road does serve as a kind of border between the two kingdoms." Myouga began in a very scholarly tone. "You see; the two races did not like one another. In fact they were at war for many years. It is said that the two forests were once joined as one, but separated into two during the last great battle between the two races. The battle was so fierce, that it tore the forest apart."

"Hang on a sec. If they were at war…" Kagome paused to think. "And from all the stories I've heard, Vampires die with sunlight so they have to sleep during the day. Why did they have a huge battle when the Elves could just go kill them all in their sleep?" Kagome asked, thoroughly confused. She didn't like this whole mess with Elves and Vampires; it all seemed so silly to believe in such things. Then again, she thought the same thing about demons before she fell through the well.

"Yes well, I'm getting to that. To answer your question, yes they can't be in sunlight but demons existed then too. The demons who served the Vampires protected them in their vulnerable state." Myouga explained.

"So it was this battle that wiped the two races out three hundred years ago?" Miroku asked.

"No, actually they disappeared from what seemed to be an upset from within the two kingdoms several hundred years after the battle." The flea demon stated.

"An upset within the kingdoms?" Sango repeated curiously.

"It seems that the rulers of the two kingdoms held great power… over their people, and within themselves. It is said that the heirs of the two kingdoms strayed from tradition and their own law, causing great distress amongst their people."

"Ohh, what did they do that was so bad?" Shippou asked curiously. He really couldn't see why two entire races would just get up and leave just because a prince or princess did something against the rules.

"That I don't know, I know very little else on the matter other than they disappeared after the incident. Many of their spirits still linger here though," Myouga answered.

"We already know that Myouga. The elder at the village already tried to scare us with that." Kagome snapped; she did not like hearing about how the spirits of some ancient race were going to kill them for traveling BY their forest. It was just too stupid.

"Feh, are we done talking now? Let's get going. I want to get as far as we can before nightfall." Inuyasha barked as he began walking up the path again. He hated being reminded of all this. He had blocked it all out for a reason. `So why am I coming back?' he asked himself. He had left so long ago, and had vowed that it would be for good. He didn't belong there anymore; in fact he never did…he didn't belong anywhere. `The Shikon shards you baka! That's why you're back, because there is a shard here! That's what those travelers said…hang on, how would humans know that there was a shard here? Humans won't step foot near the ancient land so how did they know anything about it? Feh, stop worrying, you're going to get the shards and then get out of this place for good.' He nodded his head, agreeing with himself. After they find the shards here they would leave, and he would never come back.

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"Ohhh, Master Sesshomaru! Why have you led us to such a dangerous place?! The spirits here will kill us for sure!" The toad demon, Jaken squawked as he danced around the demon lord nervously.

"Silence Jaken, this is as far as you and Rin will go. Watch over her while I am away, I will be gone for two days. Remain here and you will be safe." Sesshomaru snapped at his servant, he would not have the toad or the little girl follow him. What he had to do, he needed to do alone.

"Yes master! I will do as you say." The toad demon chirped as his master walked into the forest and disappeared.

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It was evening once again, and the moon now poured its rays peacefully upon the small camp set up by the small band of jewel hunters. They had decided to settle as close to the road as possible. This eased everyone's mind, but left Inuyasha without his usual tree to sleep in. So he now sat on the hard ground with his arms crossed, and staring into the fire. The others had fallen asleep some time ago, all but he and Kagome that is. He found it hard to sleep on the ground and he knew that Kagome was not entirely comfortable sleeping so near to what seemed to be a very dangerous place. He watched silently as she stared into the fire; her eyes dancing with the reflection of the flames.

"Why aren't you asleep yet girl?" he asked gruffly.

Kagome jumped a bit and looked up from the fire, apparently startled by the broken silence. Blinking a few times in an attempt to shake the glare in her eyes caused by staring into the flames for too long, Kagome tried to focus on the source of the sound. "Inuyasha is that you?" she asked quietly so not to wake anyone.

"Feh, of course it's me! Stupid girl, why aren't you asleep yet? We won't be able to find any shards if you sleep all day tomorrow because you didn't rest when you were supposed to!" Inuyasha snapped rather loudly. He, apparently, didn't care if he woke anyone else up or not. Luckily though, no one had stirred.

Kagome only sighed and averted her eyes back to the now dimming fire. She picked up one of the sticks that had been left over from its creation and jabbed at the embers, not really paying attention to what she was doing. She unknowingly smirked as she remembered how hard it had been to collect the wood needed to set up the fire. Inuyasha had taken Shippou by the tail, and dragged him into the least foreboding of the two forests to collect the wood. The fox kit had cried and wailed the entire time for Kagome to save him, but to no avail.

"Did you hear me? Hello? Are you there?" Inuyasha questioned. While Kagome had been caught up in her thoughts, Inuyasha had jumped over to her side and was now rapping on her head with his knuckles. "What's wrong with you?"

"Ow, stop that!" Kagome hissed as she batted his hand away. "I just can't sleep so just get off my case."

Inuyasha sat himself down beside her and stared at her coldly. "You know we would have already had all of the shards by now if it wasn't for the stupid way you act sometimes." He stated flatly as he turned his head toward the fire and stuck his nose in the air.

Kagome's face twitched in annoyance. `How dare he say something like that! He has been the one acting stupid.' She thought to herself as she glared daggers at the hanyou, who was now staring back at her with a fearful expression.

"What are you looking at me like that for!?" Inuyasha nearly yelled. The look on Kagome's face was enough to make him wish he had stayed on the other side of the fire, and his ears began to flatten on his head in anticipation of a good yelling. He only hoped she wouldn't use her word on him since he knew the look she was giving him all too well.

Kagome thought for a few moments about how many different ways she could kill a certain hanyou, but then only shook her head in response and cast her eyes back to the fire. "I'm not the one that is having a problem here Inuyasha." She whispered sadly.

"Huh?" Inuyasha sat dumbfounded by the girl's response. He had really expected her to `sit' him into oblivion from the look he had received from her, but instead she became sad and said that it wasn't her fault. She hadn't said anything else, and Inuyasha was now becoming very nervous. "What in hell is that supposed to mean?" He demanded.

"It means…" Kagome began quietly with her eyes focused on the fire in front of her, but then turned back to Inuyasha with a saddened expression. "It means that you are the one with the problem, and you won't trust me enough to even tell me what's wrong!" She asked lowly. "Why don't you trust me Inuyasha?"

"What are you talking about Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. He was so lost that he had no idea what to do or say. "Feh, of course I trust you wench." That was all he was able to get out, and immediately decided that he had messed up once again by calling her a name he knew she didn't like. Kagome didn't seem to have noticed it though, and she was now looking back toward the fire with her knees pulled up and her chin resting upon them.

"Then why won't you tell me why you have been acting so strange ever since that demon attacked us back at the well?" Kagome asked timidly. She was expecting to be yelled at again like before, but was surprised by a large sigh that came from Inuyasha. She turned her head on her knees so that she was now facing her friend once again, and gave him a worried look. "Inuyasha?"

"Feh." Was all he said in reply. He really didn't know what to tell her. He wasn't about to just blurt out that his long dead mate had lived here, and that the reason why had been acting strange was because of her memory. Kagome had a hard enough time living with the thought that he had loved Kikyou. The look she was giving him though… it was enough to make him realize that she was not going to let this drop, and he needed to say something. `What can I say to her though?' he asked himself. `I guess I'll just have to tell her the truth… well at least some of it.' He decided. "Kagome." He began.

Kagome's eyes lit up. "Yes Inuyasha?" she replied.

"I just do not like this place." Inuyasha continued as if the girl at his side had not said anything. "An old friend lived here a long time ago that is all." He finished. `That should be enough to satisfy her.' He thought to himself.

"So coming back is difficult for you?" Kagome asked; drawing the conclusion herself that something happened to this old friend.

"Feh, it isn't hard. I just said that I didn't like the place that's all." Inuyasha said lowly, but as strongly as he could.

`He's trying to act tough.' Kagome thought. `It looks like it really bothers him, so I think I should leave it alone for tonight at least.' She decided silently, and then placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Thank you." She quietly said.

"Huh?" Inuyasha was now confused. `What is she thanking me for?' he wondered. "Why?" he asked her.

"For saying something." She simply replied, and then retracted her hand. She picked up her forgotten stick and began playing with the fire again.

"Feh." Inuyasha huffed as he stood and took a few steps over to Kagome.

"Hey Inuyasha! What are you doing?" Kagome squeaked as quietly as she could as the hanyou picked her up from the ground.

"You are going to get some sleep." He answered, and all but dropped her onto her sleeping bag that Kagome had set out earlier in the evening next to Sango.

"Umph, hey that hurt." Kagome complained as she rubbed her now sore bottom.

"Feh, go to sleep." Inuyasha said, and went back across the fire to where he had been sitting prior to their conversation.

Kagome glared at the hanyou for a moment, but soon decided that she was really too tired now to deal with him anymore. Pulling back the top of her sleeping bag, she climbed in and made herself comfortable. "Goodnight Inuyasha." She said sleepily.

"Goodnight Kagome." Inuyasha replied, but when he looked her way he saw that it had fallen on deaf ears. `Feh, the bitch is already asleep.' He thought, and then scanned the camp one last time before bowing his head to sleep as well.